Let’s-stay-up-late Dave and me just barely made the stroke of midnight last night and then it was “see ya! Night! Happy new year” and snooze.

This morning, as I weeble wobbled my way downstairs for coffee, the thought “Must put away Christmas” popped into my sleep deprived brain. I’m sure I groaned out loud.

Nevertheless, after my first cup of coffee, I got busy taking down and carefully boxing my favorite ornaments. Most are annual Santa ornaments, have a date on them, and I always talk to them as I put them away. There was Santa 2001; I told him I didn’t remember 2001 being a stellar year, but because I can’t remember yesterday, it might have been. Santa 2004, the year we bought the business. I thanked 2004 for bringing me back into the world. With each Santa I boxed, I remembered something about that year. As I got to Santa 2015, I smiled. A good year, a year of decisions and adventure. I carefully put the boxes into the large plastic bin and closed the lid on another holiday tradition.

Then I looked around and what I saw was this:

Dog hair that was hiding behind the Christmas tree. I swear I did clean in the weeks since the tree went up. This picture obviously shows a fugitive escapee from vacuum prison.

Glitter! Geez, someone invented tiles that won’t burn up in space, but nobody has invented glue that will hold glitter on? My house is covered in it. I guess the good thing about finding Christmas glitter in May is that it does keep the festive spirit going. No? Well, I tried a positive spin.

So, in the midst of cleaning up Christmas, I felt the need to sit down and write about cleaning up Christmas. Take It Back Dave felt the need to go to Macy’s or as I call it “After Christmas Hell.” No thank you and bless him; he went alone. Kind of puts my glitter complaint in perspective.

A few more swipes with a swifter and I should be done. He, on the other hand, is probably still standing in a return line.